Frost/Nixon (2008)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Peter Morgan (screenplay)
Peter Morgan (play)

Release Date:

23 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

400 million people were waiting for the truth.

Plot:

A dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon.

Plot Keywords:

Interview | Watergate | Richard Nixon | David Frost | Scandal

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 36 nominations

Cast

Frank Langella	...	Richard Nixon
Michael Sheen	...	David Frost
Sam Rockwell	...	James Reston, Jr.
Kevin Bacon	...	Jack Brennan
Matthew Macfadyen	...	John Birt
Oliver Platt	...	Bob Zelnick
Rebecca Hall	...	Caroline Cushing
Toby Jones	...	Swifty Lazar
Andy Milder	...	Frank Gannon
Kate Jennings Grant	...	Diane Sawyer
Gabriel Jarret	...	Ken Khachigian
Jim Meskimen	...	Ray Price
Patty McCormack	...	Pat Nixon
Geoffrey Blake	...	Interview Director
Clint Howard	...	Lloyd Davis

Also Known As:

Frost/Nixon, l'heure de vérité (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA | UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44159) | UK:15 | Australia:M | Ireland:PG | Finland:K-11 | Norway:11 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Czech Republic:15 | Germany:6 | New Zealand:M | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Sweden:7 | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:12 | Denmark:11 | Austria:6 | France:U | Iceland:12 (theatrical rating) | Iceland:7 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hilton Hotel - 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Before Ron Howard was selected to direct this film, there was strong competition from other filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, George Clooney, Sam Mendes, and Bennett Miller.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Lobby of the Beverly Hilton is clearly modern and several modern glass fronted buildings are shown throughout the film.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
David Frost: I've had an idea for an interview: Richard Nixon.
John Birt: You're a talk show host. I spent yesterday watching you interview the Bee Gees.
David Frost: Weren't they terrific?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Victory at Sea

A Solid Film That Will Fade Into the Background

Frost/Nixon was indeed a good movie but the question is "will it stand the test of time?". I seriously doubt it. The performances are admirable and the writing is very good but I was not overly impressed compared to other movies I have seen.

The acting was good throughout the cast. Frank Langella was good but not spectacular as Richard Nixon. In my mind I will have Anthony Hopkins as Nixon not Langella. In Nixon strange emotions were brought up towards the man himself, in here Nixon seems to be quite a very good man. This I had a problem with, I liked the approach of him not being shown as an evil man but I did not like the fact he appeared to better than he was. I felt that Michael Sheen stole the show from Langella and in fact played better than him. His performance was more diverse and versatile and of course the movie is about him interviewing Nixon not Nixon interviewing Frost.

The directing was solid as usual of Ron Howard. Yet with the character of Nixon he seemed to be pushing the idea of sympathy upon us for Richard Nixon. When it comes to feeling emotions such as sympathy, it should not be pushed upon you. Many scenes though were quite intense but this movie was carried by the writing of Peter Morgan. The nice quick dialog between the characters is what really set the tone of the film above all.

I liked Frost/Nixon but it is not a powerful movie. It sets a good tone at the beginning and stays with it throughout. Like other Ron Howard movies it doesn't take a giant leap of greatness. It does have moments of greatness and a few memorable scenes but not enough to really stand the test of time. I do not believe it deserves its best picture, best director or best actor nominations as other men and movies have had more powerful and affecting influence this year.